Quick disconnect hinge for electrical cable retractor



Oct. 12, 1965 R. w. NAVARRO ETAL 3,210,800 QUICK DISCONNECT HINGE TOR ELECTRICAL CABLE RETRACTOR Original Filed April 24, 1962 2 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR. Z- E R08RT w. NAVARRO 9 J0 RAJ wslrl Oct. 12, 1965 w, NAVARRO T 3,210,800

QUICK DISCONNECT HINGE FOE" ELECTRICAL CABLE RETRACTOR 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Original Filed April 24, 1962 INVENTOR R05RT W. NAVARRO TED RAJ'EW Kl BY M ATTORNEYS United States Patent 3,210,800 QUICK DISCONNECT HINGE FOR ELECTRICAL CABLE RETRACTOR Robert W. Navarro, Cincinnati, Ohio, and Ted Rajewski, Richmond, Ind., assignors to the United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Air Force Original application Apr. 24, 1962, Ser. No. 189,937, now Patent No. 3,138,655, dated June 23, 1964. Divided and this application Oct. 16, 1963, Ser. No. 316,786 2 Claims. (Cl. 16-176) This is a divisional application of co-pending application Electrical Cable Retractor with Quick Disconnect Hinge, Serial No. 189,937 filed April 24, 1962 by the same inventors, and now Patent No. 3,138,655, issued June 23, 1964.

This invention relates to quick-disconnect hinges and, more particularly, to quick disconnect hinges adapted for use on electrical cable retractors.

The primary object of this invention is to provide a unique device having an extending pivotable arm for supporting a portion of a flexible cable and being severa'ble by the one hand actuation of the extending arm.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a biasing quick disconnect hinge having the minimum number of separable elements.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a quick disconnect hinge having a pivoting arm superimposed over the stationary mounting element to provide vertical displacement of the pivoting arm from the stationary mounting element.

Additional objects, advantage-s and features of the invention reside in the construction, arrangement and combination of parts involved in the embodiment of the invention as will appear from the following description and accompanying drawings, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a schematic perspective of a typical drawer, containing electrical subassemblies, in the closed position within a console and showing a cable retractor having quick disconnect hinges in accordance with this invention.

FIG. 2 is a plan view of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is an enlarged perspective of one embodiment of the quick disconnect hinge showing the manner in which the hinge is disconnected by lateral movement of v the pin from the yoke, and

FIG. 4 is an'exploded perspective of another embodiment of the quick disconnect hinge.

Referring to FIG. 1 and FIG. 2 which show a typical application of the quick disconnect hinge as applied to a cabel retractor, there is shown a typical drawer 10 in the closed or home position in .a portion of console 12 which is shown in phantom. The drawer may be of any suit-able construction to house the particular electrical equipment comprising the subassemblies within the drawer. Such equipment is represented by electronic tubes 14 and transformers 16. Suitable handles 18 are attached to the front of the drawer. If desired, a lock which is not shown may be provided to hold the drawer firmly in place or to prevent the unauthorized removal of the drawer from the cons-ole. The various components within the drawer are properly wired into necessary circuits which are not shown and do not constitute a necessary part of this invention. All wire leads from the subassemblies within the drawer, which must be joined to the main wiring circuits at the rear portion of the console, terminate in terminal blocks mounted to bracket 20. The terminal blocks are the female halves of commercially available and well known quick disconnect plugs and contain sockets for receiving the pins of the male halves 22 of the quick disconnect plugs. A

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harness or cable 24, in electrical communication with the main wiring circuits, which are not shown and which do not constitute a part of this invention, terminates in the male halves 22 of the quick disconnect plugs.

The main components of the cable retractor comprise a pair of hinged, spring biased arm assemblies, one of which is joined to the drawer and the other of which is joined to the console. For purposes of illustration, on FIG. 1 and FIG. 2 both hinged arm assemblies are the same except for the direction of spring bias. An optional difference will be hereinafter described.

Again referring to FIG. 1 and FIG 2, each hinged arm assembly 26 comprises essentially a yoke 28 which pivotally supports a removable pin 30 to which an arm 32 is joined, and a torsion spring 34 which biases the arm 32. The first hinged arm assembly 26 may be mounted to the drawer 10 as shown by screws 36 which pass through yoke 28. The vertical location is such as will permit the arm 32 and cable 24 to clear the drawer member to which joined. The second hinged arm assembly, in similar manner, is joined to the console as shown and in such relationship with the first hinged assembly as will place the two arms 32 in the same horizontal plane. The torsion spring 34 on the first hinged arm assembly biases arm 32 toward the front of the drawer and the torsion spring on the second hinged arm assembly biases the arm toward the rear of the console. If desired, suitable mean-s, which are not a necessary part of this invention, may be provided to limit the travel of the arms in the biased direction.

Cable 24 may be joined to arms 32 by suitable brackets 38 which may be held in place by screws 40. As shown on FIG. 1 and FIG 2, the cable is attached to the upper face of arm 32 of the first hinged arm assembly and to the lower face of the arm on the second assembly. The particular location of the cable on the arms may be selected to best meet the requirements of the particular application.

FIG. 3 illustrates enlarged details of the hinged arm assembly as contemplated by the first embodiment of this invention. Yoke 28, which may be made of flat sheet stock, has a back 2811, an upper ear 42 and a lower ear 44 in parallel spaced relationship at right angles to back 28a as shown. Coaxial and perpendicular to the ears are a first bore 46 in the upper ear 42 and a second and smaller diameter bore 48 in lower ear 44. The upper ear 42 is provided with a slot 50 communicating with bore 46 as shown. The slot is of any convenient width which is narrower than the diameter of bore 46. The.slot 50 is shownas running between bore 46 and the front of ear 42, although it could as easily run to either side fo the ear without departing from the invention.

Pin 30, to which arm 3-2 is riveted or otherwise joined to form a pivot arm, has four portions of varying diameter. At least the first portion 52 on one end of the pin and the second portion 58 on the other end'of the pin are coaxial and of such diameter as will be properly journaled in bores 46 and 4 8 of yoke 28 when the pin and yoke are in the assembled position shown on FIG. 1. The first portion 52 of the pin is of such length as to have a portion extending outside the yoke for receiving torsion spring 34 when in the assembled position shown on FIG. 1. The third portion 56 of the pin is of such diameter as will conveniently pass through slot 50 of yoke 28. The fourth portion 54 of the pin is preferably somewhat larger in diameter than the first portion of the pin and of such length that the combined length of portions 54 and 58 is somewhat less than the distance between the ears on yoke 28. Torsion spring 34 is provided with a first hook 34a which engages arm 32 as shown on FIG. 3 and a second hook 34b which under torsion engages yoke 28 as shown 3 on FIG. 1 and FIG. 2. It will be noted from FIG. 1 and 2 that a right hand and a left hand torsion spring 34 must be used since the arms 32 are rotationally biased in opposite directions.

In its assembled and operable position, the hinge is as shown on FIG, 1 with the second portion 58 of the pin engaging the bore in the lower ear of the yoke 28, and with spring 34 hooked over the arm and the yoke. The hinge may be quick-disconnected by using a pair of pliers to unhook the spring from the yoke which will permit the arm with attached pin to be lifted until the top of the fourth portion 54 of the pin bottoms against car 42, at which time the pin will be out of the bore in the lower ear of the yoke and may be removed by laterally sliding through slot 50.

The drawer may be removed from console 12 by pulling it forward in the normal manner. As the drawer moves forward, carrying the attached hinged arm assembly with it, the arm moves in a clockwise direction while the arm of the hinged arm assembly joined to the console moves in a counterclockwise direction, and the cable 24 tends to straighten. After the drawer has been pulled forward a sufficient amount to provide access, the male halves 22 of the quick disconnect plugs are pulled and the hinged arm assembly on the drawer is disconnected in the manner above described. The cable is now completely severed from the drawer which may be removed from the console.

FIG. 4 illustrates another embodiment of the quick disconnect hinge having a modification over the embodiment shown on FIG. 3. Like parts and elements have like numbers and only the modification will be described below.

The second portion 58 of the pin 30 as shown on FIG. 3 is made longer as shown by 58a of pin 30a on FIG. 4. In that portion of the pin protruding through the lower ear 44 of yoke 28, a hole 60 is drilled for receiving a cotter pin 62, which is used as a safety measure or assurance that the hinge does not become disconnected because of spring failure or other reason. The cotter pin prevents axial movement of the pin in the yoke. Such a safety feature may be desirable on air borne consoles subjected to inertial, centrifugal and other forces. If desired, a spring clip may be substituted for the cotter pin. Likewise, if desired, the hole may be omitted and an external groove for receiving a snap ring may be substituted on the pin.

If desired, the quick disconnect feature of the hinge may be omitted from the hinge on the console. This would be done by omitting slot 50 from yoke 28 and omitting the third portion 56 from pin 30 in which case the portion 54 of the pin may be made contiguous with and of the same diameter as the 52 portion of the pin.

It is to be understood that the embodiments of the present invention as shown and described are to be regarded as illustrative only and that the invention is susceptible to variations, modifications and changes within the scope of the appended claims.

We claim:

1. A quick disconnect hinge comprising: a yoke, a pivot arm detachably journaled in said yoke, and spring means rotationally biasing said pivot arm in said yoke, said yoke having a back, a first ear and a second ear at right angle to and on the same side of said back, said ears having coaxial bores substantially parallel to said back, the bore through the first ear being of a diameter greater than the diameter of the bore through the second ear and there being a slot in the first ear, said slot extending from the bore through the first ear to an outer edge of said ear, said pivot arm comprising a pin and an arm joined to one end of said pin for angular movement about the axis of said pin, said pin having a first portion on one end journaled in the bore through the first ear and extending outside said yoke for joining to said arm, a second portion on the other end journaled in the bore through the second ear, a third portion adjacent to the said first portion and having a diameter less than the width of the slot in the first ear of said yoke and a fourth portion adjacent to the said second portion and having a diameter greater than the diameter of said first portion, the combined length of the second and fourth portions being less than the distance between the ears on said yoke, said spring means being a torsion spring surrounding said pin and disposed between said yoke and said arm, said torsion spring having a hook on one end engaging said yoke and a hook on the opposite end engaging said arm.

2. A quick disconnect hinge comprising: a yoke, a pivot arm detachably journaled in said yoke, releasable means for restraining the axial movement of said pivot arm in said yoke and spring means rotationally biasing said pivot arm in said yoke, said yoke having a back, a first ear and a second ear at right angle to and on the same side of said back, said ears having coaxial bores substantially parallel to said back, the bore through the first car being of a diameter greater than the diameter of the bore through the second ear and there being a slot in the first ear, said slot extending from the bore through the first ear to an outer edge of said ear, said pivot arm comprising a pin and an arm joined to one end of said p n for angular movement about the axis of said pin, said pm having a first portion on one end journaled in the bore through the first ear and extending outside said yoke for oining to said arm, a second portion on the other end ournaled in the bore through the second ear and extending outside said yoke for receiving said releasable means for restraining the axial movement of said pivot arm in said yoke, a third portion adjacent to said first portron and having a diameter less than the width of the slot in the first ear of said yoke and a fourth portion adjacent to the said second portion and having a diameter greater than the diameter of said first portion, the combined length of the second and fourth portions being less than the distance between the ears on said yoke, said spring means being a torsion spring surrounding said pin and disposed between said yoke and said arm, said torsion spring having a hook on one end engaging said yoke and a hook on the opposite end engaging said arm.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 966,333 8/10 Hemming. 1,484,372 2/24 Edwards 16176 1,651,969 12/27 Saxton.

1,719,966 7/29 Burns 248-289 X 2,926,382 3/60 Knese et a1. 16-176 FOREIGN PATENTS 3 79,039 8/ 07 France. 444,332 3/ 36 Great Britain. 31,330 11/33 Netherlands.

JOSEPH D. SEERS, Primary Examiner.

DONLEY J. STOCKING, Examiner. 

1. A QUICK DISCONNECT HINGE COMPRISING: A YOKE, A PIVOT ARM DETACHABLY JOURNALED IN SAID YOKE, AND SPRING MEANS ROTATIONALLY BIASING SAID PIVOT ARM IN SAID YOKE, SAID YOKE HAVING A BACK, A FIRST EAR AND A SECOND EAR AT RIGHT ANGLE TO AND ON THE SAME SIDE OF SAID BACK, SAID EARS HAVING COAXIAL BORES SUBSTANTIALLY PARALLEL TO SAID BACK, THE BORE THROUGH THE FIRST EAR BEING OF A DIAMETER GREATER THAN THE DIAMETER OF THE BORE THROUGH THE SECOND EAR AND THERE BEING A SLOT IN THE FIRST EAR, SAID SLOT EXTENDING FROM THE BORE THROUGH THE FIRST EAR TO AN OUTER EDGE OF SAID EAR, SAID PIVOT ARM COMPRISING A PIN AND AN ARM JOINED TO ONE END OF SAID PIN FOR ANGULAR MOVEMENT ABOUT THE AXIS OF SAID PIN, SAID PIN HAVING A FIRST PORTION ON ONE END JOURNALED IN THE BORE THROUGH THE FIRST EAR AND EXTENDNG OUTSIDE SAID YOKE FOR JOINING TO SAID ARM, A SECOND PORTION ON THE OTHER END JOURNALED IN THE BORE THROUGH THE SECOND EAR, A THIRD PORTION ADJACENT TO THE SAID FIRST PORTION AND HAVING A DIAMETER LESS THAN THE WIDTH OF THE SLOT IN THE FIRST EAR OF SAID YOKE AND A FOURTH PORTION ADJACENT TO THE SAID SECOND PORTION AND HAVING A DIAMETER GREATER THAN THE DIAMETER OF SAID FIRST PORTION, THE COMBINED LENGTH OF THE SECOND AND FOURTH PORTIONS BEING LESS THAN THE DISTANCE BETWEEN THE EARS ON SAID YOKE, SAID SPRING MEANS BEING A TORSION SPRING SURROUNDING SAID PIN AND DISPOSED BETWEEN SAID YOKE AND SAID ARM, SAID TORSION SPRING HAVING A HOOK ON ONE END ENGAGING SAID YOKE AND A HOOK ON THE OPPOSITE END ENGAGING SAID ARM. 